Serological and bacteriological observations on experimental infection with Salmonella hadar in chickens

Over the past 3 years the frequency of Salmonella hadar infections has increased in Belgium in both poultry and humans. Therefore, the course of infection with S. hadar in poultry was investigated. One day-old and 4 week-old specific pathogen-free chickens were orally infected with one of two S. hadar strains, SH1 or SH2. Mortality was 6% (SH1) and 17% (SH2) in birds infected at 1 day-old. Chickens infected at 1 day-old with SH2 showed a mild diarrhoea. The S. hadar faecal excretion in birds infected at 1 day-old remained high throughout the experiment until 12 weeks post-inoculation (pi). Faecal excretion was lower in older birds. Antibodies to S. hadar were observed from 2 weeks pi (SH2, infected at 1 day-old) or 4 weeks pi (SH1, both groups; SH2, chickens infected at 4 weeks of age). The percentage of chickens with antibodies was higher after infection at 1 day-old than after infection at 4 weeks of age. In a second experiment 1 day-old chicks were infected with SH1 and autopsied at regular intervals until 42 days pi. SH1 was isolated from the caeca from 3 h pi onwards and from the liver and spleen from 18 h until 14 days pi. Serous typhlitis and omphalitis were the main lesions. The number of macrophages in the lamina propria of the caecal tonsils was slightly increased from 18 h until 2 weeks pi. In the liver, inflammation was observed in the portal triads and in the sinusoids. This study indicates that infections with S. hadar lead to intense colonisation of the gut and extensive faecal shedding. It may also cause invasive infections in 1 day-old chickens.     

Bartonella DNA in the blood and lymph nodes of Golden Retrievers with lymphoma and in healthy controls

BACKGROUND: Although lymphoma is the most common neoplastic process reported in dogs, its precise etiology is unknown. Golden Retrievers are more likely to develop lymphoma, suggesting a breed predisposition; however, other factors, including environment, immunity, and infection, are likely contributors to oncogenesis. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that the development of lymphoma in Golden Retrievers may be associated with vector-borne infections, specifically Bartonella, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia species infections. ANIMALS: Golden Retrievers with lymphoma and healthy Golden Retrievers from across the United States were recruited for study participation. METHODS: A matched, case-control study was performed to determine the association of lymphoma and the presence of Bartonella, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia species in serum, blood, and lymph node aspirates. RESULTS: Using PCR analyses and DNA sequencing, single and coinfections with Bartonella henselae, Bartonella elizabethae, Bartonella quintana, and/or Bartonella vinsonii (berkhoffii) were detected in the blood and lymph node aspirates of Golden Retrievers with lymphoma (5/28 dogs, 18%) and in healthy Golden Retrievers (10/56 dogs, 18%); no Anaplasma or Ehrlichia DNA was detected in any dog. When compared with dogs with lymphoma, a higher (P <.001) proportion of healthy Golden Retrievers were receiving monthly acaricide treatments (2.6 times higher). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Bartonella DNA can be detected in blood and lymph nodes; importantly, in this report, Bartonella was detected in the same proportion of clinically healthy dogs and dogs with lymphoma. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine the mode of transmission of Bartonella in dogs, whether lymphatic infection is persistent, or whether these bacteria may contribute to the development of lymphoma.     

Bacteria flora and heavy metals in cultivated oysters <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea iredalei</Emphasis> of Setiu Wetland,East Coast Peninsular Malaysia

Slipper oyster Crassostrea iredalei is a species of good demand for its sweet flavor and white coloured flesh. The filter feeding nature predisposes oysters to accumulation of pathogenic and heavy metals in waters impacted by sewage pollutions and may thus render the oysters unfit for human consumption. A study was undertaken to investigate the presence of bacteria flora and heavy metal concentrations in cultivated oysters Crassostrea iredalei at Setiu Wetland, Terengganu, the only source of cultivated oysters in East Coast of Malaysia. A total of 200 slipper oyster samples were analyzed. The bacteria were isolated using non selective agar such as TSA agar and selective agars before they were then identified using conventional methods in combination with BBL Crystal identification kit. Heavy metals such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that the oysters harbor predominantly Shewanella putrifaciens followed by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio cholerae, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli and Chromobacterium violaceum. They also contain high concentration of Zn (785.68 ± 285.88 μg/g) with the lowest heavy metal was Pb (0.17 ± 0.15 μg/g), whilst the concentrations of other heavy metals were Cu (38.9 ± 13.2 μg/g) and Cd (1.60 ± 0.28 μg/g). The study is very useful to evaluate the type of bacteria and heavy metal present in oyster meat for human consumption.     

Efficacy of constructed wetlands for removal of bacterial contamination from agricultural return flows

Water quality degradation from bacterial pathogens is one of the leading causes of surface water impairment in California agricultural watersheds. In the San Joaquin Valley, approximately 50 and 100% of water samples collected from three different irrigation return flows exceeded the Escherichia coli standard of 126 cfu 100 mL⁻¹ and the enterococci standard of 33 cfu 100 mL⁻¹, respectively, as required for water discharge into state waterways. These results show that runoff from irrigated crops can contribute a significant load of bacteria indicators and potentially pathogenic microorganisms to waterways. Constructed wetlands are gaining recognition as a management practice for use in irrigated agriculture to reduce bacterial loads and a wide variety of water quality contaminants in agricultural return flows prior to discharge into waterways. Based on input-output sampling of four wetlands, 66-91% of E. coli concentrations and 86-94% of enterococci concentrations were retained in the wetlands. Removal efficiencies in terms of bacteria load were even higher, 80-87% and 88-97% for E. coli and enterococci, respectively, due to water losses (seepage and evapotranspiration) within the wetland. Of all the parameters considered, hydraulic residence time (HRT) appeared to be the factor having the greatest effect on the efficiency of bacteria indicator removal. Remarkably, a HRT of less than a day can achieve considerable bacteria indicator retention (∼70%), which allows for relatively small wetland areas being able to treat runoff from large agricultural areas (up to 360:1 in this study).     

Assessment of groundwater quality and its variations in the capture zone of a pumping well in an agricultural area

Agricultural activities are frequently associated with water contamination. The spreading and storage of fertilizers, for instance, may result in groundwater contamination due to pollutants leaching into an aquifer. Nitrates and fecal bacteria are two important contaminants associated with agriculture. Thus, the development of efficient strategies for groundwater protection in agricultural areas requires an assessment of these two contaminants. Given this perspective, groundwater quality monitoring was carried out over the whole capture zone of a municipal well located in an agricultural area in the St.-Lawrence Lowlands in Québec. Thirty-eight piezometers were installed within the roughly 2 km² capture area of the well to measure physico-chemical parameters such as major ions, field measured parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water level, temperature), and isotopic ratios, bacteriological parameters (Heterotrophic Plate Count—HPC, enterococci, total coliforms, Escherichia coli) and their variations in space and time. Groundwater was sampled from the pumping well and the piezometers during 25 field campaigns in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The results demonstrate the impact of agricultural activities on nitrate contamination. They indicate high spatial and temporal variations in nitrate concentrations, from 6 to 125 mgNO₃⁻/L within the capture area, with 40% of the samples exceeding the Québec drinking water limit of 45 mgNO₃⁻/L. Nitrate pollution in the municipal well exceeded 45 mgNO₃⁻/L during 2005, but no bacteriological contamination was observed. The results also show a high variability of nitrate concentration with depth within the capture zone. Electrical conductivity appears as a good indicator of the presence of nitrate and calcium ions in this capture zone. Correlations between nitrate, calcium and chloride suggest that these ions come from the same source of fertilizer. Nitrate isotopic composition suggests that nitrate in groundwater originates from both chemical and organic fertilizers. The bacteriological results show that the extracted volume of water during sampling of a piezometer has a significant impact on the bacteria count. The variability of bacteriological pollution is important in space and time, showing a higher contamination during summer. Only 2% of the raw water samples exhibit contamination exceeding the drinking water standard for treated water. Total coliforms seem to be a good precursor of E. coli or enterococci contamination. Globally, the physico-chemical and bacteriological groundwater quality within the studied capture area and the pumping well shows contamination by nitrates, but low contamination levels by fecal bacteria.     

光合细菌的基本特性及应用价值

本文综述了光合细菌的主要特征及应用价值。主要介绍了光合细菌的分类、形态、增殖方式、细胞成分、生理特性及其在农业、环境保护和产氢面的应用价值。     

大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)仔稚鱼发育期消化道可培养细菌的菌群特征分析

采用传统的细菌培养方法,对大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)育苗生产过程中不同发育时期仔稚鱼的消化道、投喂饵料和养殖水源中的可培养细菌进行了菌群结构分析和优势菌株的16S rDNA同源性比较,揭示其形成过程和演替规律。结果显示,在大菱鲆仔稚鱼5?36日龄的不同发育时期,消化道中的细菌数量呈现了先升高后降低的变化趋势,在17?26日龄期间,仔稚鱼消化道可培养细菌数量级在105?106 CFU/g以上,并且与其他时期存在极显著差异(P<0.01)。弧菌总量呈现先升高后稳定的变化趋势,17日龄之前与之后存在显著差异(P<0.05)。至投喂颗粒饵料期,细菌总量和弧菌总量均稳定在104 CFU/g数量级,弧菌成为大菱鲆仔稚鱼消化道中的优势菌种。本研究发现,大菱鲆仔稚鱼发育早期消化道中的优势菌群变化明显,并且生物饵料中的细菌对消化道中的菌群结构影响较大,其中的Vibrio ichthyoenteri最终成为仔稚鱼消化道中的优势菌种。     

Use of Microbacterium sp. and Exiguobacterium mexicanum to improve the survival and development of Artemia under xenic conditions

The effect of Microbacterium sp. strain 8L and Exiguobacterium mexicanum strain 8N was evaluated in the diet of Artemia under xenic conditions. Viable cultures of bacteria were provided to xenic cultures of Artemia in combination with Sacharomyces cerevisiae, cornflour or Spirulina, and the effect on the survival and growth was recorded. The use of these bacterial strains improves significantly the survival of Artemia independently of the used food (P < 0.05), and variable results were observed in the growth.     

河北省海水池塘底质生物修复菌的分离筛选

为了修复对虾养殖池塘的养殖环境。从昌黎、乐亭、黄骅等3地的对虾池塘中取底泥,共分离出215种细菌．通过其对对虾饵料和蛤蜊内降解能力的测定,筛选出9株虾池有机污染降解茵。这些菌株能以对虾饵料作为生长的唯一碳源和氮源。并且对对虾的配合饵料和蛤蜊肉具有较强的降解能力。通过7d的培养。有4株细菌对对虾的饵料的COD去除率约70％。对蛤蜊肉的COD去除率超过50％,其他5株细菌对对虾饵料及蛤蜊肉的COD去除率也在30％以上。结果表明。这些细菌能快速消除对虾池塘的有机污染,具有修复虾池环境的潜力。     

不同土壤添加剂对番茄苗期土壤根际微生物数量的影响

将8种物质苜蓿汁、韭菜汁、木醋液、白菜汁、萝卜汁、葱汁、草木灰和蘑菇汁分别与有机肥以1:7的比例混合,制成土壤添加剂,然后再将配好的不同土壤添加剂分别按1:30的比例加入到土壤中,混合均匀,种植上番茄,设有机肥处理作为对照,待番茄苗出土后,每隔7d测定一次番茄土壤根际微生物数量(主要测定土壤细菌,土壤真菌和土壤放线菌的数量)。测定结果表明,在整个测定期间,与有机肥对照相比,苜蓿汁与有机肥、韭菜汁与有机肥和木醋液与有机肥配制的土壤添加剂对土壤中微生物数量都有增加趋势。木醋液与有机肥配制的土壤添加剂在加入土壤15d,土壤细菌、土壤放线菌和土壤真菌数量就增加到最大,分别为1131.94%、191.67%和348.19%。